The Unexpected Guest
by kirei chime
Summary: Rogue was shutting herself away after her breakup with Bobby. How will she react to someone who came back?  Set at the end of X3
1. Chapter 1

THE UNEXPECTED GUEST

Piece 1: A Shoulder to Cry On

Rogue felt betrayed. Yes, she was already cured, but a month after she came home, she accidentally saw Bobby and Kitty sharing an innocent kiss at the fountain one fine Saturday morning.

She confronted him after that incident, and he rationalized that when she left, he was looking all over for her. But through all the troubles with Magneto's catastrophe at the Alcatraz, she wasn't there. They vowed to be together, he reasoned out. And so, in hot tears, Rogue took off the promise ring and flung it to his face.

"Are….are you breaking up with me?" Bobby asked as if demanding an explanation.

"Yes, I am, and tell you what, I am tired of being a scapegoat. I am tired that you have me as a girlfriend, but you are secretly flirting with—," she paused. "With that Kitty! I won't put up with it anymore!"

She turned her back in haste, and no matter how much he called her, she didn't listen.

That afternoon, as Rogue was standing in front of the graves of Jean, Scott, and the Professor, Logan approached her. As usual, he didn't get away with one of his favourite vices—smoking. Uhm, did he forget that he was in school property?

"Hey kid, you a'right?" Logan asked. He studied the face of the friend whom he loved so much that he can't help but wipe the tears from her face.

"I'm not," Rogue sobbed. As she related what happened, she looked at Logan. But at the mere mention of 'love', Logan looked away. He still couldn't get over the fact that he hesitantly killed the woman he loved for the sake of many. He shed a tear but due to his thick beard and due to his acting prowess, Rogue didn't notice that he was also crying.

"Love hurts," Rogue sobbed. Then, Logan placed his arm around her and tapped her shoulder.

"You need a timeout, kid," he suggested.

When Rogue looked at him again, it was only that time she noticed that he was in tears too.

"Ms. Grey, right?" she said to him as she also wiped the tears from his face.

"Yeah, I think I need a timeout too," he sighed.

Rogue smiled a bit.

"It feels relieving, knowing that someone shared my pain," Rogue told him, who responded with his usual smirk. "I think I gotta go somewhere to cool off."

Logan nodded and tapped her shoulder again. "Be back for dinner, Marie."

Rogue smiled. He was the only one whom she shared her real name. And with that bond that the two of them shared, Rogue knew that Logan was a real friend and would never, ever hurt her.


	2. Chapter 2

Piece 2: The Return

Rogue went to the hills to think things over. Yeah, it was sort of bad vibes to be able to see your ex in the mansion every day. But what can she do? Bobby's perfect family won't take him, thanks to his traitor brother Ronnie. She cannot even go back home either. It just needs a matter of the cold shoulder to be able to deal with this every day. She was in deep thought when someone spoke to her.

"Long time no see."

Rogue turned around in fright. She thought she was alone, but someone just spoke to her. Her eyes were all in great circles when she saw the person talking to her.

"…John?" she asked.

John Allerdyce smirked and rolled his eyeballs. This is the girl that his nemesis Bobby was in love with? She is still the same—perpetually walking on eggshells. Clumsy. A scaredy cat.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

Rogue relaxed her guard and bit her lips. She didn't answer him right away, but instead, looked at the city overlooking the hill. She wanted to find a way to distract him or even to divert his attention.

"Look yonder," she told him in a dreamy voice. "Isn't it beautiful?"

John cocked his head and knitted his eyebrows. He didn't know what she was talking about, so he squatted and looked ahead. Yeah, it indeed was beautiful, and the sun had just said goodbye to the great skies.

"Yes, it is," he said.

When he looked at her, he noticed tears rolling down her eyes. He forgot who she was and he forgot who he was, that in an instant, he hastily sat beside her, extended the sleeves of his jacket to cover his hand, and wiped the tears from her eyes. As his hands touched her cheeks, he suddenly remembered why he had hated Bobby all along. He and the Iceman fell head over heels for her at her first day in school. They were showing off their powers to impress her. But naturally, Drake's ice crushed Allerdyce's fire, and the former had given her an ice rose. And because of that, eventually, Rogue fell for Bobby until such time that they became the hot couple, next to Jean and Scott. John's unrequited love never got noticed, and he was contented to be just friends with her. No matter how much he wanted to woo her, his feeling of fake friendship with Bobby would get in the way. Yes, Rogue chose the good guy over the bad guy. He finally stood his ground to be the man he wanted to be when he decided to join Magneto's brotherhood. With Magneto, you can use you power, sky's the limit. You can get whatever you want. You can have as much revenge as you wanted to have.

John suddenly forgot that he had also hated her for choosing Bobby. Watching the tears from her eyes made him in touch with the reality that he kept on denying—that through all those years, he was still in love with her. Even when he was with the Brotherhood, he would still be dreaming of her at night. It was only just a dream, it was not reality.

"What is the matter?" John crooned.

Rogue looked at him in the eye. John had never talked to her like that. When she saw that look of pain in his eyes, she began to sob again and told him that it was nothing.

"Nothing? Crying out but it is nothing?" John calmly asked. "Tell me."

And so, Rogue was obliged to tell him that she was cured but then, Bobby took advantaged still of that situation by flirting still with Kitty Pryde. Yes, he can now kiss his own girlfriend, but he can still drool over that young girl who can walk through walls.

John's anger grew when he heard the situation. He didn't notice that the hand he was placing around Rogue's shoulder was starting to burn.

"Ouch!" Rogue cried in pain. He controlled the fire and profusely asked for her forgiveness. She, however, gave him a very bitter reception.

"Oh yes, both of you are the same! My boyfriend rowed in two rivers. And you, you whom I thought so much to be a friend, left us when we needed you the most!"

Rogue stood up in anger and went to the spring nearby to cool the burn from her shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Piece 3: Heart Confessions

John followed her all the way to the spring.

"I said I'm sorry," pleaded John. It was so not him to plead.

Rogue didn't answer him. She took off her trench coat and placed it on the rock. She sat on her legs and leaned forward to the cool waters to gather some water and flood the burnt part with it. She was wearing a black tank top, and it was good that she did. John couldn't resist looking at her pale white arms and her burnt shoulder that he went over to her to help her.

"I didn't tell you to help me," was her bitter angry sentence.

"Look, I said I'm sorry!" he pleaded again.

As he helped her scoop some water and flooded it to her skin, he accidentally touched her skin. They looked at each other for a moment, and she didn't protest as he gingerly held her bare arm for the first time. He had totally forgotten that she already told him that she was cured.

"Wow, your arm feels so…" he marvelled. "So smooth…"

He smiled to himself. Probably, when Bobby knew that she was cured, he spent many times caressing her face or her arms. Now, he has all the opportunity to himself. He was still lost in thought when Rogue remarked.

"I like what you did to your hair," she said, commenting on how his once-brown hair had turned blonde.

With that remark, he blushed.

He shared to her all that had happened when he left. He felt freedom, with no one controlling your powers. He didn't regret that he left, and he knew the professor was killed since he was there at Jean Grey's house with Magneto and the rest of the brotherhood when that happened. He also shared he was in the big war at the Alcatraz, but then he didn't notice the end of it all after Bobby knocked him with a head butt. The next thing he knew, everything was gone, and no one was left. None of the soldiers were even there. He was a solitary island. So, he had to fend for himself. After that, Rogue also shared that Scott Summers and Jean Grey died, but she confessed she didn't know how it came to be, as she was out, trying the cure for herself. There were some things also that she didn't reveal. Perhaps, John was a decoy still to Magneto, who might be making some plans to destroy humans and the X-men, even if he himself was already a human. She learned from Hank and Logan that Magneto was "humanized", thanks to the cure, but she was also warned that even with his condition, he might still be having some sinister plans left. That is why she was so careful in sharing any information with John. After the heartfelt discussion, Rogue hugged him tight.

"I miss you so much, John," she sobbed. "Please come back."

John pushed her and asked. "You're not doing this to make him jealous, are you?"

He looked for answers in her eyes. They look as if she was still painfully much in love with Bobby.

"No, no, John, that is not it," she begged. "I miss having you around. Do you remember the time when Bobby and I had a fight for a week, and you were there for me, making me laugh and smile all the time? I miss it. And I miss you."

This was, perhaps, the opportunity that he was waiting for.

"I believe in you, Rogue. Yes, I will go back with you, I promise," he said.

With that, she hugged him again.

"Oh, thank you so much, John," she smiled amidst tears.

John felt uneasy. He suddenly felt that he can no longer hate her, not for anything. He knew she was closer to Logan than to him, but who cares? He knew he still love her even if Logan will object.

"I love you, Rogue," he confessed.

Rogue released her grip from him and looked at him in great disbelief. "What?"

And so John had to confess. He was willing to do anything for her, but she had all eyes and heart for her boyfriend alone. And he left the X-men aside from the fact that he hated abiding by the rules and being obedient all the time. And he revealed that he left the team because he can no longer stand seeing his two friends falling in love with each other, while he was pushed aside like a broom. And with that, he confessed he also decided to hate her. And when he told her that, tears ran down her eyes.

"I'm sorry, John. I didn't know, and I didn't mean to. But know that you are always special to me because we are friends. But I'm sorry I cannot share with you the feelings you have for me. Maybe in time, I might love you the way you love me…but I am sorry…."

John's face fell. He understood. Rogue just recently got a heartbreak, and he didn't want to add to it. No, never. He hugged her tight and felt the tears soaking his shirt.

"I understand. I understand," he told her. "But I will wait. Whatever it takes, I will wait."

"Maybe I might even love you, John, if I will see and will be with you every day," Rogue confessed. "Even when Bobby was my bf, but every night, I am wishing that one day you will come back and make me smile and laugh again, just like you did in the past. But please don't pressure me to love you….I hope I will and can love you someday…"

John shed a tear or two. It was a far-fetched dream, but it was a dream. Someday, his dream might turn to reality. He silently pushed her and slowly planted a kiss on her lips. It was the first time he had kissed her. To his delight, she did not resist and kissed him back.

They sat down among the stones, kissing each other. They didn't notice a figure spying on them all along from the woods. Logan. He knitted his eyebrows to see the rebel kid kissing his favourite kid. No, he wasn't willing to let his Marie undergo another heartache. Not today. Not that he is jealous. He was just protective. He was just hoping that Pyro would stop being a rebel and go back with them at the Institute. He was hoping that the young man would change. But one thing was sure. With the way things turn out, he knew that John was sincerely in love with Marie and would do anything for her and would promise not to hurt her.

END


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